Sixense demoed its TrueMotion 3D controller system, a Wiimote-like input device using high-resolution measurements of a magnetic field. The accelerometers in the Wiimote give the console a rough idea of motion, but using accelerometers to locate a point in absolute space is tricky. All accelerometers generate small errors and, as time goes on, the errors have greater and greater influence on the calculations needed to determine the controller's position. This is known as inertial drift, and even occurs in multi-million dollar guided missiles. The Sixense technology avoids this problem, apparently able to accurately measure where the controller is relative to a fixed point, presumably the field emitter. The company claims the controllers have a ten-millisecond refresh rate and are accurate to within millimeters. Game programmers already have development kits for the system, so games using the technology should be on the horizon.

This story around the web: